


The fight

by RebMed



Series: Gas [9]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-03-27
Packaged: 2018-10-11 17:33:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10470375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebMed/pseuds/RebMed
Summary: Lux and Daryl have a big quarrel at home, due to bad communication and the way she has dealt with the issue of her assault. Meanwhile, Rick calls for backup on a trip to discuss terms with the Saviors





	

Lux was sitting at the church that night, on a bench at the back building was full of people, who were listening to Rick. Daryl was right opposite Rick, but she didn't want to get near him. That day had begun very early, when he woke her up yelling at her.  
"Where is my lighter?!”  
"The fuck is wrong with you, dude!” Lux groaned "Grab mine!”  
"No, I want mine!” he was already getting dressed.  
"Just grab mine, it's here!” she threw it to his head. "Why do you bother smoking at” she looked at her watch “five AM, Jesus Christ! Go the fuck to sleep!”  
"I want my lighter, because you took it yesterday and never gave it back to me, and you always do that!” He threw a cushion towards her. "And just so you know, I've been up at this time all week, to do stuff, but your lazy ass won't notice!”  
"WHATEVER.”  
"You should be up at six, then Michonne gets angry because you never get stuff done!” He pulled out the sheets to drag her out of bed. "Damn it, you seem to have been bitten by a sloth.”  
"And you seem to have been bitten by a bitch! Leave me alone!”  
He slammed the door behind him.  
She tried to sleep for a while, but she was so nervous and angry that she eventually got up and started looking for the lighter. She found it inside her backpack, put on her jeans and brought it to the kitchen, when he was having coffee.  
"Here you go.” she looked at him, ashamed "you were right, it was in my bag.”  
"I don't care anymore, you can have it.”  
"Are you fucking with me? You were dying for it a minute ago.”  
He didn't reply and started washing some plates.  
"Oh well, you prefer to wash than to talk like an adult. Impressive.” she grabbed a cookie out of the jar and began to munch it. "Are you going to go like this all day?”  
"I'm sorry.” He put down the glass he was washing. "It's just... I talked to Carol.”  
"I'm following you.” Lux said, sarcastically "go on.”  
"She told me... I don't know, she is worried about you.”  
"She's worried about me.” she repeated, frowning "and why is she worried about me, may I ask?”  
"Do you want coffee?”  
"Yes, put me some and then tell me why she is worried and why I should care.”  
"Maybe, just maybe, it's because you have been telling her your life and mine lately, and she thinks you are a trauma on legs.”  
"Perfect.” she took a sip of coffee and grabbed another cookie. "So she is basically bringing to you and who knows how many others all the things I say, when I think she will keep them.”  
He turned to her, outraged. "She is my friend, the one I talk to the most, and it's nothing wrong that she tells me about the things you said because I'm your...”  
"Go say it, moron.”  
"Whatever. You are acting selfish here. You have new friends, who truly care about you, you tell them your problems, they act with honesty, and you rant.”  
She stared at him, boiling. "What? So it's fine that I share something personal and she goes spreading it around?”  
"She cares for you!”  
"And what did you tell her, huh? Because your point here seems to be that I'm a whiner, bratty child seeking for attention, and then Carol, Patron Saint of the hopeless, gets worried for me... but you think there's nothing to worry about?”  
"That's exactly what I told her.”  
"Oh well.” She put down the mug so violently she almost crashed it against the counter top. "Then it's fine, everything is crystal clear. I just won't tell anyone my problems and that will do it.”  
"Don't you play the victim.” he put both his hands on the kitchen table "You are rude, and you are not fair.”  
"So what? What have I done?” she looked at him eye to eye "Have I worried them for nothing, because everything is good for me?”  
"I didn't say that, I just said that if you go opening your hear to the others, it is normal that they talk about you and try to help you.”  
"I don't need any help!”  
"Oh well, I'm done.” he said "You just want someone to listen to you without replying, and telling you you always do good, right?”  
"What the fuck are you talking about?”  
"Forget it.” he left the kitchen and headed to the front door.  
"No way, now go spit it out.” She clenched her fists, furious. "What the hell is wrong with you? What have I done now?”

* * *

 

"These two, I swear. It's like living with drunk teenagers.” Michonne grunted, trying to fall asleep again.  
"Well, it's a tempestuous relation.” Rick held her waist. "Not everybody is so romantic as we are, my dear.”  
"I mean it. I want to sleep calm, all night, in my own house.” Michonne looked at him, concerned. "We are trying to bring up children here, and this is becoming... ghetto.”  
"That's racist, ha ha.”  
"I'm serious...” she was trying to ignore Rick, who was kissing her neck. "One more fight like this and they're out of here.”

* * *

 

"Lux, don't get me wrong, but...” Daryl began again, calm. "Some people don't know how to deal with you. You have so much inside you, and you let it out, and then you turn aggressive because they pity you.”  
"Can you give me an example?”  
"Everyone saw you arguing with Tara the other day. And you drop bombs about our past, which by the way I've been hiding out, and you won't respect that, and you leave everybody upset. And of course they feel sorry for you, but what can they do, huh? Do you feel uncomfortable? Because they do, all the damn time.”  
"Well, I wasn't expecting this.” She looked down, arms crossed.  
"I didn't want to upset you, it's just...”  
"Dude, don't stop now. You seem to have been hiding it away.” she looked really sad. "I prefer you telling me now, don't keep it no more.”  
"I don't know how to deal with some things.”  
"What things?” she perfectly knew which ones.  
"Well I...” he sat opposite her, on the back of the couch. "Sometimes I feel a bit uncomfortable thinking about what happened to you, and I...”  
"Dude, I'm not going to talk about it, I told you.”  
He took a good half a minute to choose his words. "I don't understand you, I don't get to know how you feel. And... there is something weird about it.”  
"Weird? Weird like what?”  
He exhaled long and looked at her frightened eyes. "I don't get how you recovered so soon.”  
She froze, and remained quiet.  
"I don't know how to function with you.” he explained.  
"I thought we were fine, banging like monkeys.” she lowered her voice. Her eyes glanced mad, suddenly looking more green than blue, like a shallow pond stuffed with weeds.  
"Because I wanted it, and I knew you were right with it, but then... you have those nightmares, and I console you, and I don't get to figure out why you decided to go back to normal.”  
She sighed. "There is no "normal", Daryl. I'm not like before, I will never be. I just sort of got better, and then... it took me a while to make sure I wanted it again... but because it was you.” she felt embarrassed, degraded. "I didn't know you thought it was wrong.”  
"I didn't think it was wrong, I... think you made a fast move there, you were not ready.”  
"Are you talking about me or about you here?”  
"It was weird. It was weird and fucked up.”  
"I didn't see you hesitate, motherfucker.” she shed tears off her eyes "I didn't see you stutter, I saw you fine inside me, and now you tell me you felt awkward?!” she pushed him against the wall. "You're a fucking bastard! All this time you were screwing the shit out of me and judging me at the same time!”  
"You're putting things in my mouth...” Daryl tried to remain calm. "You're freaking out and I get it.”  
"No! Don't you dare to tell me I'm exaggerating because I'm not! This is fucking disgusting!”  
He put is hand on her shoulder. "I haven't said that.”  
"You think it was too soon. But you were all comfortable about it.”  
"I got drunk the first three times because I didn't know how to touch you! And even then I felt guilty after.”  
"You felt guilty.” She took his hand off her. "Don't touch me. You did it because I forced you, or what?”  
He didn't reply. He had his hands in his pockets and didn't dare to look at her.  
"Well, you know what?” she exploded "I liked it! I loved it! I had been waiting to put myself together and go to you because I missed you! Yes, that's the truth, you were the only one I wanted! Even before you found me again, I was thinking of you all the time! And now you tell me that you felt it was too soon?”  
"I do. I know you have issues, but maybe you don't know how to deal with yourself and that's part of the problem. And you blame others, and you let yourself go, and then we are the ones you punch.”  
"But I didn't do it with you! I felt good about this! Shit, I longed for you every night since I arrived! I would never complain about anything, you are sweet and caring!”  
"But I don't want that!” he shouted "That is not what we used to do! And I feel like doing things that I know you don't want, and even though I do it smoothly I don't know if I'm doing wrong and then everything seems so messed up and you act like no big deal, and then you wake up in panic in the middle of the night!”  
She was weeping, trying to breathe. He tried to hold her, but she rejected him and went back to the bedroom. She started packing her bag.  
"Don't go.” he was talking to her leaning on the door frame. "I know you're upset but please, don't leave like this.”  
She sat on the bed and replied, quietly:  
"I can't stay here, I can't sleep with you.” she said, her voice sounded raspy "I don't know how I feel right now, my head is going to explode, but I can't come back here tonight.”  
"I'll sleep on the couch, I always come late and leave before you in the morning.” Daryl suggested. "You won't see me if you don't want to.”  
"Okay.”  
"Okay. I gotta go now... are you fine?”  
"I'm torn apart, but I won't tell anyone.” he groaned.  
He managed not to reply something harsh to that reproof. "Good. I'll see you.”  
"Bye.”  
She waited until him and the rest of the people in the house left, and Carl got up to look after Judith. She fixed them something for breakfast and drank half a liter of water in order to breathe. Then she rushed to the armory, picked her rifle and went to her tower to watch. She arrived on time to replace Aaron.  
"Morning!” he looked at her, worried. "Gosh, you don't look fine, girl.”  
"I had a hell of a sunrise, but I'll get through.” She checked her weapon and her walkie, and put on her black cap, backwards. “Have a nice day.”  
He glanced at her, feeling sorry, but he didn't say a word.  
Half an hour later, she heard her walkie.  
"Lux, are you there? It's me, Rick.”  
She swallowed saliva and replied. "Hi.”  
"Hi. I... are you good?”  
She shut her eyes closed in anger and shame, and answered. "Yes, I'm fine.”  
"Okay. There will be a meeting tonight at eight, at the church. Please come, it's important. I've changed your shift at the training camp, you finish at seven today.”  
"Copy that. Bye.”  
"Bye.”

* * *

 

"We are facing a crises right now.” Rick began. "We must be grateful for having such a good community, we work very well together, however we're going short on food. This means we have chances, but we must make choices, and this has been a tough one. As some of you know, people in Hilltop are no longer in the position of dealing with us, because they have lost a lot of people and they are actual slaves right now. They can't talk with Negan anymore because there is nothing to talk, they have nothing to offer.”  
"And what's the good news?” Abraham asked, ironically.  
"There's none.” Rick replied. "I'm going talk to them the day after tomorrow.”  
"It's too big of a risk, and maybe for nothing.” Sasha said.  
"We are not discussing that.” Rick went on "We have been talking all day and I already told you, this is the only thing we can do. We must make a move, a clever one. There is a meeting point already set, in the open air, where I will be safe, and able to talk.”  
"That's the most dangerous, and less brave decision.” Daryl said, without looking at him.  
"But the most clever.” Rick replied “We don't know how many they are, that's why there will be no assault. We would go suicidal, and we need many more people to attack them than for watching a meeting. This way we will keep many members here to defend the community in case something goes wrong.”  
"I don't like it, but I agree.” Maggie said, holding Glenn's hand. "The priority is staying safe here inside, and attacking them is crazy. There could be hundreds of them waiting for revenge.”  
"So, here's the thing:” Rick went on "I need a backup. I'll go myself in one car, along with Morgan, to talk.”  
"Morgan? You're putting me in.” Rosita said, quietly, sitting beside Lux, who didn't open her mouth all during the meeting.”  
"And I need a few people to back me up, close, so they can watch for me.” Rick insisted "Two in the same car and two more hidden.”  
"And what if the others find us?” Tara asked “if this is a war, and we are spies, we won't be prisoners.”  
"That's the thing, they won't find you. You won't let them.” Rick explained "So, we've talked for a while, and it's Aaron and Rosita coming with me in the car. And then, in the other, that will have to be abandoned long before arriving, I'm counting with Daryl, Abraham... and there are two more places to cover.”  
"I'm in.” Sasha said.  
"Are you sure? I bet they prefer redheads.” Abraham said, blowing a kiss to her.  
"I'm about to throw up.” Rosita said, behind them. Lux still didn't talk.  
"Good, then there is only one place left.” Rick stated.  
Everybody waited for a while. There were coughs, the sound of wooden benches cracking, and a tense set of gazing around. Half of the people were expecting Lux to speak but she didn't do it.  
"I'm sorry, I... I don't feel ready.” Tara admitted, shyly "It's too dangerous and I would be no help.”  
"It's fine, thank you, thanks for speaking up.” Rick replied, pulling a kind smile.  
"What about Michonne?” Aaron asked.  
"She offered to come on the first car, but I don't want her to.” Rick said. "They might know about our relationship and God knows what they would do to her in order to put pressure on me. Let alone if they find her in the bush.”  
"I'll take the last place.” Stanley said. "I'm bored here anyway ha ha.”  
"Thanks, then it is official.” Rick clapped once, glad "We're leaving in 30 hours, so sleep tight. Thanks for coming everyone.”

* * *

 

"Why didn't you volunteer?” Rosita asked Lux, who was waiting for the rest to leave the church before even standing up. "You used to be brave and all.”  
"I don't feel like.”  
"Is it because you argued with Daryl?” Rosita replied. "You're a bit of an asshole.”  
"Yes, I am.”  
"Oh, come on. I'm sorry. He acted wrong, but hey, he's not exactly a feminist, and you are hard to put up with.”  
She stared at the bench before them for a while, before asking. "Is there anybody in this damn hole who doesn't sneak in my panties looking for information? Like, can I have a domestic fight without you knowing?”  
"Daryl didn't tell anyone. It was Michonne.”  
"For God's sake, go put me on a steak and burn me up, I'm fed up with you all.”  
"Girl...”  
"No, you know what?” Lux stood up "It's true, I'm a biblical bitch, a Jezebel on the loose, you should all fear me. Good night, and good luck tomorrow.”  
She went out, leaving Rosita alone in the church.  
The day after passed by the same. She got up after the others, did her shift, and barely spoke to anyone at all. She had lunch at the prairie with Tara, who didn't talk either, worked hard at the garden, talked to Sasha about tower 1, which seemed rotten in some parts, then had dinner early with Carl and Judith, and went to sleep.  
She just saw Daryl at home at midday, for a minute, after coming back from their tasks, to have a cigar and a glass of water, like they used to do.  
"Hey” Daryl said, afraid to look at her in the eye.  
"Hey.” she looked for his gaze and didn't find it. "How are you?”  
"I'm good.”  
They looked at the floor.  
"Listen” Lux began “I... I'm not mad at you anymore, I'm just sad and tired. Don't mind me.”  
"Okay. It's good to hear that. I... I'm glad you are not coming tomorrow, it can go bad.”  
"Thanks. I didn't feel like. What time are you living?”  
"Seven.” Daryl said, rising his head.  
Their eyes met for a second and they gasped simultaneously.  
"Be careful, please” she begged.  
"So...” he cleared his throat. "Are we good?”  
"Yeah, I just need a couple of days, and we'll see.”  
"Okay. Have a nice day, blond.”  
"You too.”

* * *

 

She went to sleep at 12 PM and she couldn't sleep at all. The previous night had been easier, because she was exhausted, and sad, but this night she was thinking about what happened, non stop. She wanted lo let time pass, but she felt in the need of setting things straight and making up his mind about Daryl as soon as possible, because she loved him fondly, they lived together, everyone around was asking questions... and he could die at any minute. That was the worst thing of all. Having to make a decision right away in case she lost him. Her head was pumping blood like a hammer.  
She was also jealous, and afraid he would cheat on her with another woman. She didn't know why, but suddenly she didn't trust him. And she felt bad for it.  
She fell asleep around three in the morning, and woke up to screams and shouts and five. There was a huge noise of wood cracking, and everybody in the house rushed out. She did too, and she saw Tower 1 crumbling down, and Sasha fighting to stay safe, among the pile of sticks. Lux called for Denise, and went back to help the others. Sasha was sitting down, back against a tree, crying in pain, and Abraham and Rick were checking her. She had her ankle sprained, at least in two points. All the people started looking at Lux.  
"You gotta be kidding me...” she muttered, anxious. "You gotta be fucking kidding me...”  
Denise helped them carry Sasha to the infirmary, and Rick approached Lux.  
"Well. I'm sorry.” he said "See you at seven.”  
"Nope.” she had her arms crossed, wearing a worn out dress that she used to sleep, and rocking a big tattoo of a pink flower on her left leg. "I'm not. Ask another. And don't you think this is about Daryl, I'm not in the mood, nor in the condition. I'm gonna fuck up.”  
"Listen, we need you.” Rick replied "It's not exactly up to you. I know you don't trust yourself and you're afraid of putting the mission at risk, but let me tell you, you're good at watching and sneaking. Hell, I can't hear you coming half of the times, you always freak me out.” He winked.  
"Ha ha ha.” she laughed for the first time in three days. "Sounds like me.”  
"Really, please, come with us. I don't care... well, you'll see what you do about him, but please come.” he was completely exhausted and fed up, but kept sporting that halfway smile she liked so much. He was hot, in an annoying boss kind of way. "Go now to the kitchen and I'll explain you. Wait there for me, I'll talk to Sasha now.”  
"Fine, see you there.” she farewelled and left, but then she turned around to ask. "Can I carry the eagle?” she mimicked a praying stance.  
"Whatever, girl.” He laughed.


End file.
